Ventilated Mattress Pad Core for Moisture Drying and Hygiene
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mattress pads fail to efficiently transport moisture away from the sleeper, leading to accumulation and slow drying, and often lack a removable and washable core, which can harbor allergens and mites.
Innovation Solution
A mattress pad design featuring a quilted cover with a removable core composed of two units with vertically arranged monofilaments between outer layers, allowing for moisture and air passage, and a washable construction that can be ventilated to enhance drying and hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional mattress pad materials are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but moisture transport capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a foam core material with through-going channels creating a porous structure that enables efficient moisture and air transport. The channels extend vertically through the foam layers, allowing moisture to be transported away from the sleeper while air flows through to facilitate drying. This porous architecture resolves the contradiction by providing high moisture transport capability through the material's inherent structure rather than requiring complex active transport systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The mattress pad combines multiple materials with complementary properties: a foam core with moisture-wicking channels, a quilted cover with breathable fabric layers, and potentially different foam densities in various zones. This composite construction integrates the moisture transport function into the material selection and layering strategy, achieving effective moisture management without adding complex mechanical or electronic components.
2Ease of operation
If the core is made non-removable, then structural stability is improved, but washability and hygiene are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress pad is divided into separable components: a removable washable cover and a core structure. The cover can be detached for washing while the core remains in place to maintain structural stability. This segmentation allows the cover to be easily removed for hygiene purposes while the core provides continuous structural support, resolving the contradiction between washability and structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The washable cover is extracted as a separate removable component from the core structure. This extraction enables the cover to be independently washed and replaced while the core remains stationary and structurally stable. The design separates the hygiene-requiring element (cover) from the structure-providing element (core), allowing each to optimize its function without compromising the other.
3Ease of operation
If thick foam layers are used, then comfort is improved, but drying time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The foam core incorporates through-going channels that create a porous structure, enabling air to flow through the thickness of the foam layers. This internal ventilation system allows moisture to be transported laterally and evaporated more quickly, significantly reducing drying time even in thick foam constructions. The porous architecture maintains comfort by providing cushioning while simultaneously enabling rapid moisture evacuation through the material matrix.
Solution Approach 2:
The design utilizes air flow through the foam channels to facilitate moisture removal. By creating pathways for air movement through the foam layers, the system employs pneumatic principles to drive moisture evaporation and drying. The air flow through the porous foam structure accelerates the drying process while the foam itself maintains its comfort-providing thickness and cushioning properties.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the core is made washable and removable, then hygiene is improved, but ease of assembly and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress pad is segmented into a removable cover and a core structure with standardized interfaces. The cover incorporates fastening elements such as zippers or elasticated edges that enable simple attachment and detachment. This segmentation strategy improves hygiene by allowing the cover to be removed for washing while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular construction with standardized joining mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable cover is designed to integrate with the core through combining features: the cover incorporates both the aesthetic/comfort functions and the fastening mechanisms in a single component. This merging of functions into the cover design simplifies the overall assembly process, as the cover serves multiple purposes (protection, comfort, hygiene) and includes its own attachment system, reducing the need for separate assembly steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively transports moisture away, reducing mite habitats and drying time, providing improved comfort and hygiene by allowing for easy washing and ventilation, making it suitable for individuals with allergies.
Implementation Method 1
the moisture cannot be transported away laterally to any great extent
Implementation Method 2
The side 19 is woven as a net and thus has good ventilating properties
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A mattress pad has a core (11,12) in a quilted mattress cover (16, 17, 19). The core comprises at least one unit consisting of two outer layers (13,14) and vertical monofilaments (10) extending between the outer layers and fixed thereto. The core allows air to move laterally, meaning that the mattress transports moisture away from the body laterally. The movements of the sleeper act as a pump. Also included is a method of ventilating a bed with a person lying thereon using such a mattress pad and blowing air into the same.